Hey guys, I do not think some of you are thinking straight. Most of your suggestions are common sense, which one hopefully accepts pilots have! Sure an Aspirin will help. Drinking copius amounts of water helps, as well as a balanced lifestyle. But, what I would really like to put across, is the ignorance many of us, (myself included until it hit me right between the eyes!) have regarding DVT's.
There seems to be too many people that still consider the main danger to be a long flight. If you take precautions and are NOT predisposed, ie do not have Factor V Leiden or one of the other similar conditions, then you like the majority will probably be ok. However, should you know of anyone in your immediate family that has had either a DVT or venous problems eg during pregnancy, then I would suggest you get a blood check and determine whether you are predisposed to clotting. If you are, then you are pre-warned and can take the appropriate measures such as injecting Heparin before a long range flight.
Some of you have asked what the symptoms are. Initially nothing or perhaps a twitchy feeling in your leg or foot. I felt that a vein in my foot was perhaps enlarged and was being irritated by my sock or shoe. The second time I knew exactly what was happening as I had, had prior experience. Next comes excrutiating pain once the vein blocks and will not allow the blood to flow. This pain by the way will continue, even during blood thinning treatment until the clot has been cleared. The danger of course is a small portion or the whole clot breaking loose and travelling to your lung,heart or brain, making you either very sick, killing you or perhaps worst of all turning you into a vegetable! Believe me, getting breathless when the clots go through ones lungs is not a pleasant feeling and shutting ones eyes at night hoping to wake in the morning is not to be recommended.
I am not trying to scaremonger here but, I am sure there are people out there that perhaps should take notice.